Yellowstone-area wolves observed moving pups to follow elk
A wolf carries a very young pup by its hindquarters in this image caught by a game camera. A new study shows that contrary to long-held scientific assumptions, wolves will move den sites to follow migrating prey. (Wyoming Game and Fish)
Scientific research has long assumed gray wolves are non-migratory during springtime, staying anchored to tend to litters of nearly helpless pups. For the first weeks of life, after all, pups are blind, deaf and extremely vulnerable.
A game camera image captured in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, however, upends that assumption. In the picture, an adult female wolf hauls a squirmy-looking pup by its hindquarters. The collared female, GPS data shows, was transporting the youngster from a den site to a new pack “rendezvous” site — effectively relocating her young family.